That Friday Energy

You have got to love Fridays for the sheer amount of energy you feel thinking it is the last day of the week. It is weird. One should feel more tired, worn-out after a long week of work, yet it is not the case. It is obviously all in our heads. We could score the same amount of energy or thereabouts other days if we were to think.

There is no doubt we all like to be in the comfort of our homes with our loved ones or out there doing something fun. But if we manage to change our workplace to accommodate some level of comfort or fun, then perhaps we could manage to feel as energetic as Fridays, every other day. So what is stopping us? Let’s take a look at some of the reasons we might feel like crap at work:

We no longer enjoy the work we do (or we never did)

We no longer like the people we work with (or never did)

We see our work as means to an end

Our work environment is boring/unpleasant

Our work hours are not flexible

…

There could be a lot of other reasons but we suffice with the above.

If you do not enjoy your work but you used to do, maybe something changed or you changed or it probably became very routine. In these cases, there are things you can do change things around.

Obviously, you can always look for new opportunities within the organisation you work for or elsewhere. You can also ask around for secondment opportunities which could be a good idea to move away from that routine day-to-day work you do. But the way to make things interesting in your current work is to suggest new ideas to management to improve the way you work, experiment with methodologies, use your break time to do something different every time.

You cannot change people’s attitude easily if someone’s negative attitude is causing you grief at work. Sometimes it could be the way we perceive things and they may not be that way in reality. See, if your issue is you and not that person. In which case it is simpler because you will have to change your attitude. But if it is definitely the other person’s fault, then perhaps speak with them. It could be a misunderstanding or if you are right and reasonable and they are reasonable, then they might agree to adjust. Let go of petty disagreements. Be accepting of people as long as their behaviour is not harming you in any way. At the same time, don’t be a pushover. Stand up for yourself.

For a lot of us, our work may be just a means to an end. But there is no reason one should suffer under it. You shouldn’t think of your work as only a source of income but also as a way that you are contributing to the society (of course unless you are doing dodgy and/or criminal stuff in which case you should suffer) and should feel proud of what you do.

Think about the last person you served or worked with or your last achievement no matter how small. Think about how it may have made a difference or made someone’s problems diminish or go away. Right about now, you should feel good about yourself.
It is not about how big a deal it was to you but what it meant to them and how it would have them a step closer to their goal. Think how you do this all the time, day in and day out. This way, your work will be a source of happiness and you will feel a sense of accomplishment.

I am sure these are very simple common sense issues that everyone at some point thought about, but it is a good thing to remind ourselves every now and again that we are important and what we do is important, if not to everyone, to those who are directly or indirectly impacted positively by it.

Now tap that Friday energy every day and feel the best you can feel every day of the week.

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